Till Death Do We Part
by LongLoreLover
Summary: Set in an Alternate Universe, Gohan has inherited Goku's heart virus. To make matters worse, Cell and the Androids have appeared, and with Goku distraught, and the Saiyans overpowered, what hope stands for the Z-Fighters! M for Language, Action, and horror.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! It's LongLoreLover coming out with yet ANOTHER story. I really need to turn my brain off lol. This is set in an ****_alternate AU_**** of the Android Saga, with someone, not Goku, sick with the heart virus. You'll know who in the first sentence. Enjoy!**

**Goku:"Umm Vegeta, am I owned by anyone?"**

**Vegeta: Of course not you blithering Idiot!=oWhere is your Saiyan Pride?!**

**Goku: But if you're wrong, then that poor soul who is writing about us will be sued**

***Vegeta grabs me* Vegeta: Eh! You ever sued, and I'll have a word with those people. Okay?**

***I just nod***

**Gohan yelled, tearing at the white, cotton cover that covered him as if it was a wild beast, trying to tear the flesh from his neck. Chi Chi sobbed, tears streaking her face as she watched her only son scream in agony. She was frozen, unable to leave, too scared to get any closer. Although not nearly as powerful as his father, Gohan still possessed the strength to send Chi Chi into walls. She had enough welts and bruises on her to prove that her baby was a Saiyan, just like his father.**

**"My baby, oh my baby..." she cried, shoulders heaving up and down. Krillin was in no better shape, his bald head slick with sweat from anxiety. Trunks and Vegeta had gone out to stall the Androids, but after the shocks accompanied in Mickey Town with the Androids, and the encounter of Cell, he feared if Super Saiyan would cut it anymore. Goku narrowly defeated Frieza the first time, and though he has grown much stronger, and now has two other Sper Saiyans to back him, the power the Androids displayed on camera from the news camera, the destruction of a whole City, it hurt the mind to comprehend. And Goku...well Goku was just as ineffective as Gohan now.  
Gohan yelled with some hidden anger, shaking his head and ripping some of the cover as he tugged and rolled over. His left hand was clutched, almost ripping the skin over his heart, which had blue veins segging out from it in all directions. He stopped screaming for a short interval, and just breathed heavily, gulping in air that rose his chest two or three inches. His mouth was open, his nose clogged by the mucus that tried to trap the virus. **

**"Now Krillin, while he's a little less agitated." Chi Chi urged, and handed Krillin a blue tablet. He took it with quivering hands, suffering never boded well for him, and kneeled near Gohan. The shape Gohan was in perplexed him for moments. The boy had lost pounds on his face, faintly underlying his cheek bones, nose, and eye-ridges. His face was a faint apricot, but diluted pink was around the edges. Gohan's eyes were closed, but you could see the Rapid-Eye-Movement behind the lids. **

**Wasting no more time, Krillin gently laid the pill in Gohan's mouth. "Come on man. Chew..." ChiChi handed Krillin a cup of water, which the monk took gratefully, and drank it in one gulp.**

**"KRILLIN! THAT WAS FOR MY SON YOU MONSTER!" ChiChi smacked him in the back of his head with her hand, sending him flying over Gohan. He groaned, and didn't drink the water that ChiChi ran and poured this time. Instead, he eased the cup into the corner of the boy's mouth, the water trickling in. Gohan seemed to not swallow, but his throat then started to contract.**

**He was drinking! "Oh Thank heavens..." ChiChi murmured. Krillin rubbed his forehead, and came away with tablespoons of sweat. He wasn't surprised though, it was a summer day, and the atmosphere was more than enough to make anyone or thing perspire. **

**Except Androids. Krillin hoped Trunks and Vegeta, but more Trunks, would be okay. Gohan screamed with some hidden pain, and threw up the water. He rolled over, his whole frame shuddering as he groaned, and his mother and best friend could do nothing, but watch.**

**Goku held his head, wanting so badly to blot out the sounds of his son's agony upstairs, but he forced himself to listen. "****_Behold Goku. This is what you have brought on your son." _****he imagined Vegeta saying. "Goku, Goku are you even listening to me?!" Bulma demanded. Trunks was asleep on her lap, but her fierce gaze was wide-awake. Goku stood. "No Bulma, I wasn't listening. My ****_son_**** is..is..-" He simply held his head and breathed in a shuddered breath. This hurt more than someone hurting his boy, Gohan would and always has been able to take physical pain. But this relied on something that Goku nor Piccolo could never train. This was a disease that Goku had been told killed him in another timeline. **

**"If I could, I'd take Gohan's place..." he muttered. Numerous things played through him. ****_"It SHOULD'VE BEEN ME..."_**** he thought. A hand came out of the shadows and laid his hand on Goku's shoulder. "Yes Goku, perhaps it should've been you. But you heard what Trunks said, not even a Super Saiyan could stop this thing. You and Vegeta, stopped by something, that we can't even see! And now you sit here, wishing for things that won't change! You had a chance to check on Gohan, but you just ignored it!" Piccolo was yelling by this point, driven to confront one of his best friends, because Gohan was also his son, even if not biologically. **

**Three months earlier, Goku was checking on how Gohan was progressing in his training. He stopped a punch from his son with a downward block, and hit his chest, sending him backwards into some boulders. Piccolo just watched, and raised an eyebrow when Goku didn't even have to grab Gohan's hand to stop it, he simply swatted it away, and pushed Gohan. But Gohan screamed as if he was punched full-force. Piccolo was going to say something, but Goku noted on it. "Gohan, what's wrong? Don't tell me you're getting older faster than your old man?" He giggle-snorted. Gohan didn't come out of the boulders until a minute later, and he was heaving, arms handing at his sides while he was hunched over. "I just am tired Dad." **

**Goku nodded, and talked to ChiChi, but when the doctor found nothing, they forgot about it, going about saving the world.**

**Now, Goku was standing, face inches from Piccolo. "What do you want from me Piccolo?!"**

**"I want you to be a father! You sit here moping and crying when you should be on the frontlines with Trunks and Vegeta! You heard Cell, he has the true cure for Gohan inside him, for he tampered with the pills Trunks gave us so they only slow Gohan's degeneration."**

**"Cell is lying and you'd be a fool to think otherwise Piccolo!" Goku retorted, eyes red with fury and tears. **

**Piccolo's cape swished quickly, slicing the air. "YOU. DON'T. KNOW. THAT! And instead of going for any chance that your son has, you sit here, 'protecting' him from a threat that you know won't make it here. The Androids may be not as strong as you individually, but together, and in your condition, distraught and emotionally distracted, you are nothing. And they are not even charged to their maximum with solar power and the life energy of others.. Together they will overwhelm us, even if Trunks and or Vegeta made it back in time, and we would be crushed. It doesn't matter what we do, so we should use this time to help Gohan, not sit around and talk-"**

**"PICCOLO, THIS explains all my actions in five words! Can you count that high you idiot?!"**

**"What are they?" Piccolo demanded with venom. His hands were curled into fists.**

**"YOU. ARE. NOT. GOHAN'S. FATHER! You do not get to tell me what to do with my own son! If you want to be so high and mighty, then get your own self out there looking for a cure, since only one of us seem dead set on keeping him alive until a REAL cure presents itself!" Goku turned and collapsed back into the chair he was sitting in. Piccolo stared at him, stunned. In all his time with the kind Saiyan, which was an oxymoron in its own right, he never expected Goku to pull that card. But this wasn't Goku. This was a man who was being driven crazy by the fact that a disease passed through his blood-line had skipped him, and was now killing his son. Piccolo gasped, and then looked at Goku, who had his face in his hands. It was hard to see if he was crying, but Piccolo didn't care. He walked out the room without another word to Goku, but he did say to Bulma, "I'm going out to find a cure. If Gohan...doesn't make, let me know. Please?" **

**Bulma nodded wearily, understanding. "Yeah, but since you still haven't learned to work a phone yet, take this." She handed him a card. It had blue lines intersecting all throughout it. Piccolo raised an eyebrow. "That's a photo and telecommunications card, or a PAC. Just breathe on it, and whisper the name of who you want to talk to. It'll automatically display them, or tell you if their card is not with them, in which it'll redirect you automatically to me. I'll always be here."Bulma explained**

**Piccolo nodded with appreciation. "How did you make this?" **

**Bulma smiled. "Well my future son is actually quite the brainiac. He made these and distributed them to rebels who were opposing the Androids, which he had to look to after Gohan..." she stopped, realizing the spot she'd come to. Piccolo noticed it too, and nodded his understanding. No matter the era or place, Gohan was always dead, dying, or in danger.  
He left before he said something irreparable. Gohan's screams tore his heart apart, but Piccolo forced himself to listen, as he knew Goku's tortured conscious would force him to do too. But he didn't look at the boy, it would fill his mind, and he would need every skill if he was going to survive. **

**Taking out his PAC, he breathed, "Trunks." The card lit up, and Trunk's hair was being blown into his left eye, but the right one was still visible. "What's wrong Piccolo?" he asked in his serious voice. "I need you to meet me back at the house. I have to do something, and I could use some back-up."**

**"Why not Goku? He's much stronger than me..." Piccolo noted that a hint of awe was in the young adult's voice. He internally cringed. **

**"Goku...and I are disagreeing about how to take care of Goku. He's content to wait for the Androids to come after his son, as if he thinks he can take them in the state he's in, but I have a different plan of attack. You said that Cell tampered with the cure Bulma in your time gave you."**

**"It has to be it, unless..."Trunk's voice trailed off.**

**"Unless what Trunks?" Piccolo asked. Trunks opened his mouth to answer when a blast stuck him and filled up the screen. Suddenly the sky cleared into its blue brillinance, but it was falling too fast! "Trunks!" Piccolo roared.  
The card stopped, and Piccolo heard Trunks say, "It's Cell, he's attacking Vegeta! He's much stron- AHHH! South Land, near Old West Farm!" Trunks dropped the card to free his hand, and Piccolo saw a flash of yellow light. Tucking his PAC under his hat, he took off, flying through the air like a bullet, cape flapping like a shroud in the wind. Piccolo urged himself to go faster than ever before, for every second was a second Gohan didn't have. Although current events weren't happy, Piccolo smiled. He could now kill two birds with one stone. **

**1. Saving Trunks and Vegeta**

**2. Ripping Cell's knowledge out of him, one "0" at a time...**

**Hope you all liked it. Please review! Thanks and LongLiveDBZ/GT**


	2. The Better Man

The wind parted way as the King flew. His muscles were tense, body searching for any Ki discharge. Trunks and Vegeta were some of the strongest people on Earth. And since Super Saiyan increased the Saiyans' base strength 50 times that of their normal, they would be roaring power.

But Piccolo couldn't sense anything, save for the portrait-worthy assortment of canopy, undergrowth, and other foliage before him. The Sun glared at Piccolo, making him think he'd forgotten something. But when he looked at it inquisitively, it yielded no answer.

"Damn it Trunks, where are you?!" Piccolo shouted into the world. And that's when he saw it. The world filled with an explosion roughly the size of a nuclear bomb, and the wind knocked Piccolo back, in which he brought his hand in front of his face. While he didn't know the limits of Super Saiyan, he was sure neither Trunks or Vegeta could create a blast of that magnitude. Yelling, his neck muscles bulged, and he created a blue aura. It was unbroken and form-fitting. Indeed, he did not fuse with Kami in this reality. He waited until his body seemed to shake from within himself before collecting himself. Piccolo could feel his fellow Namekian brother, Nail's soul fill his veins, and with a war-cry, he set off towards the two black figures fighting rapidly on the horizon.

It was Vegeta!

Piccolo sensed the warriors' Ki once he was ten miles away, but it scared Piccolo to feel the second strongest Saiyans' power fading fast. The length at which Saiyans could sustain Super Siyan despite the power drain was impressive, but the strain on their bodies scared him. When he was 3 miles away, he could identify Vegeta fighting Android 18, Cell engaged with 17, who had the upper-hand, and Trunks unconscious several hundred feet below. 18 dodged a punch of Vegeta's by hopping back, and waited until he turned towards her to blast him in the face with a pink beam.

"Vegeta!" Piccolo warned, but it was too late. Vegeta crashed into the forest, sending tons of rock, earth and animals into an aerial ascent. The Saiyan didn't stop there, but destructively dragged across the landscape. He landed right below Piccolo; if the Namekian descended to the ground, Vegeta would be at his feet. The thought was not comforting. Vegeta's hair color faded back to black, and he relaxed, muscles unclenching as he slipped into unconsciousness. Piccolo grit his teeth in anger, and began to yell a challenge when 18 was upon him.

Piccolo raised his right arm to punch the machine, but the android's superior speed allowed her to hit him before he raised his elbow an inch high. A fist smashed into his cheek, pushing the skin of his mouth to the wisdom teeth on the other side as he crashed into the earth. Piccolo could barely move, he was in shock. "We can't be them..." he suddenly realized. It had been one thing saying it to Goku, but 18 barely had her clothes ripped, yet both Trunks and Vegeta were unconscious! How? They had fled at the sight of the Super Saiyans in Mickey Town, why could they so easily overpower them now?! Perhaps their batteries were more charged...Yes that must be it. Cell suddenly flew over the crater Piccolo was in at top speed, a panicked expression on his face while 17 and 18 pursued him, laughing as they fired blasts and purposely missed. Some hit Cell, causing him to flail and lose altitude before he regained it, albeit more slowly with each impact. Piccolo was perfectly content to slip into the darkness until his body woke again, but that would leave Cell at the mercy of the Androids, who possessed none.  
And if Cell died, then so did Gohan.

Piccolo would **not** let that happen.

"No!" Piccolo shrieked, and he flew right up into 17's chin. Both Androids retreated a few feet in surprise, 17 rubbing his chin with a grin. Piccolo could not stop a wave of nausea to rack him, his mouth felt raw, his body having laxed a little since Frieza. Cell stopped, catching his breath while he could but 20feet away from Piccolo. "What are you doing?!" he gasped.

"Cell, get out of here. I'll hold the Androids as long as I can." Piccolo said, choosing not to reply. Just because he had to keep Cell alive for the others to hopefully capture, didn't mean he had to socialize. 18 laughed. "Oh please! One punch knocked you into that crater for a minute. I dispatched the boy Super Saiyan in one blow also, and that one-she pointed to Vegeta- in 3..."

"Maybe, but there are different levels of Super Saiyan." 18, 17, Cell, and Piccolo frowned in perplexed motions as they looked up. Descending so he was 100 feet behind them, was Goku. "G-Goku." Piccolo stuttered. Goku gave a weak smile. "Piccolo, get that cure from Cell. **I'll **hold the Androids."

"But you'll die!" Piccolo shouted. It infuriated him that a father would throw away his life when he had a son. Goku kept his smile, reading Piccolo's expression/

That's because you're Gohan's real father Piccolo. He'll get over my death, but he needs you. And besides, I have no plan of dying today." Goku raised his arms to his hips. Piccolo was speechless, as wes Cell. 17 clapped. "Bravoh! Awesome speech Goku, and while I have much data indicating that you're a highly accomplished fighter, even you can't take us both..." 18 nodded in agreement. Goku just smirked. "Well we'll have to see about that." Goku's whole atmosphere suddenly shifted, like the sun going behind a dark cloud. He screamed as storm clouds rolled in, and lightning flashed through the air. First, his muscles bulged, chest, legs, arms, neck, everything increased, veins pounding and pulsing as they handled the rush of what ever went through a transforming created a rough vacuum that tore at Goku as his hair rose up into clumps, sparks literally in the air as the air rotated into a whirling column, and with a final yell, the air around Goku imploded into an inferno. His green eyes flashed, his yellow-hair waved as his clothes rippled, and the _swish_ of his aura made it seem like liquid fire. Goku filled his audiences eyes, letting out a breath.

"**This** is a Super Saiyan." Goku stated. His playfulness was gone, replaced by the serious nature of this form. The Androids stayed their ground, analyzing this new threat, their sensors did not carry data from Namek. "Ah, this is new to you. Then allow me to introduce you to my favorite technique..." Goku grit his teeth, kicking up the field around him into a flurry while putting his hands together. His eyebrows knit as he turned slightly to his left, and drew his hands to his hip.

**"Ka-Meh-Ha-Me-Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" and the beam erupted out with the vengeance that filled its maker's heart.**

**-Woo, that was alot lol. I hoped you liked this chapter. Again, this is an Alternate Universe. Please pm me, or review with any questions, and I thank the guest that told me switch categories, I didn't know and what you told me was invaluable *Bows* Have a good night all, I want all of you alive when I publish my next chapter!- LLL**


	3. I Don't Believe This

**Sorry it's been a while folks, experiencing Writer's Block on all my stories haha. But then, as I was walking from Hannaford, this chapter hit me. Enjoy!**

"Crap!" Piccolo yelped, and flew away from the blinding light of the Kamehameha. The Androids stood firm, staring down what Piccolo would consider Death, before vanishing into thin air. Descending several feet, Piccolo evaded the Ki blast, and watched as it crashed into the surrounding mountains. _BOOM! _Rocks rained down into the valley as fierce wind jolted Piccolo back a few feet. He covered his eyes with his arm until it was over, and then turned around to see Goku where he was before, eyes staring straight ahead. _What is he doing? The Androids will cut him down! Errrr..." _Piccolo knew that Goku was buying time for him, but like in bad horror movies, the character is riveted into stillness by the sight before them. And this was no different.

Goku's eyes drifted a little ways to the left, and his face twisted into a feral snarl as his arm shot out to his right, just missing the materialized Android 18. She grunted as she twisted out the way, and flew back. From behind Goku, Android 17 piledrove him in the head, sending the Saiyan downwards. At least, that's what Android 17 thought would happen. Instead his clasped hands went right through Goku, and the figure burst into smoke.

"A trick?" 17 asked to himself, before grunting as Goku kicked him in the back of the head. As he went flying away, 18 quickly advanced on the Super Sayian. "Unlike my brother monkey, I'm not fooled by such tricks."

Goku just smiled. "Oh really, that's not what I thought when you ran away from that punch."

"I'll kill you for that! Ah!" the two engaged in fast-paced combat, arms and legs near-blurs to Piccolo, who only watched, awestruck. How was Goku exerting so much power? Goku met every punch 18 threw at him, grabbing her arm and throwing her behind him just in time to block 17's kick with his tricep. The air shook as the force vibrated throughout it, and with a yell, Goku began his assault on 17. Blocking two quick jabs, 17 headbutted the Saiyan back, and then sent an Energy Pulse out, forcing Goku closer to the ground.

"Flash Vortex!" the machine screamed, before a tornado appeared around Goku, and he started to spin. "Whoa, WHOA!" Goku spun faster and faster, until he was a blur, and then, the tornado exploded. Goku screamed, and Piccolo felt it was time to go. He turned, and question marks appeared at where Cell was.

"Cell!" Piccolo called, but of course there was no reply. And being a machine, Piccolo had no way of sensing his Ki. Nevertheless, Cell could not have gotten far, Piccolo could probably see him from the air.

"Piccolo!" Goku yelled. Piccolo turned to see Goku blocking kicks from 18 and 17. " Get-Uh-Vegeta and Trunks out of here! They are the priority, not Cell!"Piccolo shook his head. "Are you kidding me Goku?! What about Gohan huh?!" Yelling again, Goku sent the Androids reeling backwards with a shockwave, buying him a few moments. He grew angry as Piccolo hang there with a stupid expression on his face.

"What are you waiting for?! Get them now! I can't hold off 17 and 18 much longer. The time you waste looking for Cell will only endanger Vegeta and Trunks, and we can't leave them." Firing back up his aura, which burned with significantly less rage than earlier, Goku advanced back on the the two Androids, which attacked together. Blocking 17's punch but getting caught by 18's elbow, Goku somersaulted backwards in mid-air before saying, "Solar Flare!" The Android's gritted their teeth and covered their eyes at the momentary loss in eyesight. Piccolo took this chance to descend to the ground and get Trunks first. The teen's jacket was dirtied with mud, and lay on the ground several hundred feet away. _"He must've shed it during the fight."_ Piccolo inferred. Taking off his turban, Piccolo unveiled a cache of Sensu-Beans. Taking out one, he brought it to Trunk's mouth, and prodded it. "Trunks, eat." Trunk's eyes flickered open, and he ate without question or comment. Suddenly his eyes shot open, and he sprung to his feet. "Piccolo, where is Cell?!"

"Gone, he fled the moment the action between Goku and the Androids started, but we can still-"

"No, Cell switched places with my father!" Trunks yelled. "Slow down Trunks, what do you mean switched places?"

He was created with Vegeta's DNA, allowing him to replicate into all those cells so long as he is destroyed and allowed to regenerate with all those cells. Vegeta and I annihilated him with our combined effort, but it kicked up too much dust. We got lost in the cloud, and Cell must of then regenerated as Vegeta and knocked my real father unconscious. I fought him off for a little while, but then 18 started on me. There was nothing I could do."

Piccolo hurriedly tossed a Sensu-Bean to the unconscious Vegeta. "Quick, get that in him, and then meet me back at the house!"

Trunks started giving it Vegeta. "What's wrong?"

"Cell is going to go back to the house disguised as Vegeta. No one would be able to stop him, Bulma may even show him her research on time-travel and reversing the virus!"

"Shit! HURRY!" Trunks ordered. Piccolo looked up. "Goku! The house is in danger, Cell is on the way."

Goku shook his head. "Not as long as I'm there!" Throwing his head back, Goku summoned up most of his meager reserves and Instant-Transmissioned. Android 17 just missed him, but then looked at Piccolo, Trunks, and Vegeta. "A sis, looks like we can still have a little fun." 18 chuckled. "Ah that Goku, he's so sweet isn't he Piccolo? Leaving you here to die?"

Piccolo grit his teeth. _"Yeah, Goku's so sweet he'll make your teeth rot!" _


	4. Prequel: Part 1

**So sorry for the extremely long wait, the most serious Writer's Block is hitting me right now, and I just haven't been wanting to write. I actually had a draft for this chapter, but it got erased, so yeah this is my second try. Hopefully it works- LLL**

_"How did all this happen?!"_ Piccolo wondered, as the Androids bared down on him. "Trunks!" Piccolo warned as a power level spike arose. Piccolo turned to see Trunk's hair flying upwards, skin rippling in the yellow inferno as his muscles hardened and his face set. "Androids!" he howled, energy reaching his maximum potential with a flash that engulfed his whole body, and then Trunks could no longer seem like a human with a field, he was most definitely something _else_. Vegeta gazed at his son, and Piccolo saw a hint, just a hint, of pride. Not from Trunk's power, but from the fire in the boy's eyes, the fire that made him dead-set in taking on the Androids. A fire that had previously been replaced with fear of death, of being outnumbered.

Vegeta laid a hand on his son's shoulder, causing the teen to look up at him in shock, the grip of Vegeta's hand was warm, reassuring, not cold. "We'll take them together. I will not fall again!" And just like that, Vegeta was suddenly a Super-Saiyan. The two looked at Piccolo. "Go." They said in unison, and then they were off, ready for Round Two with 17 and 18. Piccolo didn't wait around this time, he had to get back to the house. Quickly taking out his PAC, Piccolo saw it torn into almost two, sparks flying out of it. _Damn_! _Without_ another word, he took off, the sounds of Trunks and Vegeta fading behind him.

_How did all this happen?!"_ Piccolo wondered again as the world meshed far below him. He was in the Jet-stream, accelerating faster and faster. Preoccupied, he remembered...

***Flashback* **

Piccolo's whole body hurt, he could barely feel his head, and everything felt stuffy. A haze was over the world, and it bounced slowly from side to side. "Stop doing that." Piccolo said to no one in particular, his mouth wouldn't work right. There was a flash of light, and then Piccolo saw them; Goku and Vegeta locked in a wrestle. Both were barechested, pants ripped, with blood running from all over their bodies. They were panting, but neither would give up an inch, they were deadlocked, looking into each other's eyes for the slightest hint of doubt or weakness.

"Wow Vegeta, you've worked since Namek." Goku commended, trying to jerk Vegeta upwards but failing. Vegeta's mouth broke into a smile.

"Haha yes Kakorot! Although we both transformed on Namek, you know as well as I that the Saiyan prince must be stronger than his subjects. And now, that is a reality..." Vegeta yelled and stepped forward, pushing Goku back a few feet before his advance was halted.

"What the hell?!" he yelled as Goku smiled. "Not so fast Vegeta, I've been working on a little something..."

"Oh really?"

Goku released his hands from Vegeta's causing the Saiyan Pirince fall forward. Falling back to his hands, Goku drove his feet into Vegeta's stomach, sending him airborne.

"KaioSaiyan!" Goku yelled, and a red aura blazed around him before his Super Saiyan meshed with it, sending it into a scarlet blaze. The change was spontaneous, fire reeling and billowing as if a gas tanker had exploded nearby; as the Training Shuttle was scorched, and Goku's remaining clothes and blood burst into flames. Piccolo gasped, Goku actually looked like a God, and his power level was far greater, almost 20x greater, than when he was a Super Saiyan. Vegeta stopped himself, and stared before yelling, "No!" Powering back up, he flew toward Goku, who smiled. It was not a warm one, and Piccolo felt that while that was Goku, his heart had become filled with rage yet again. Goku raised a hand towards Vegeta, who continued his charge despite the inherent danger, possessed by something that had overridden logic.

"Vegeta move!" Piccolo ordered just as Goku yelled, "One-Hand Big Bang Kamehameha!" The Saiyan's whole arm shook as the energy traversed, Goku's face momentarily one of indescion and pain. Then a white beam shot out, hungrily clawing its way to its victim: Vegeta. Trying to evade Sideways, the Saiyan dodged the initial blast, until a white tendril shot out like a headless snake. Vegeta was too stunned to evade the unbelievably fast tendril, and could only watch as it wrapped around his waist and then pulled him inside the beam, which exploded the moment he was inside. The wind sent Piccolo into the stone and metal confines of their destroyed arena, causing him to hiss as shrapnel sliced at his skin. But he did not black out, he was determined to keep up with the Sayians. Yamcha, Tien, Krillin, Chaotzu, all had become almost nothing in the fights that Piccolo knew were coming. Nature would not introduce two such powerful entities, and then not soon send a force to balance it out; to either challenge, or eradicate.

The thought chilled Piccolo despite the intense heat from the blaze. Smoke clouded the area, but sunlight streamed through holes in the roof. Goku lay hunched on all fours, his back to Piccolo, but the Namekian could feel the exhaustion reverberate all throughout Goku's Kai and Soul. Whatever the Kaio-Saiyan did, it didn't burn up just Kai; Goku seemed severely diminished in some other way. Freeing his arms and legs from the wall, Piccolo limped his way over to his friend. "How are you Goku?" Piccolo almost taunted. Goku swung his head towards him, sweat dripping off his face while he could barely keep his eyes open. Piccolo looped his arm under Goku's right and then supported his weight. It was more than Piccolo was expecting, but he didn't say anything. From under a pile of rocks came a muffled scream, and then the rocks were blown to oblivion as Vegeta excavated himself. The Prince's skin was covered in battle wounds that would have earned him glory on planet Vegeta. Blood ran from the left corner of his mouth, both his noses, a cut over his left eye, and an innumerable count of scrapes and broken bruises all over his body. His pants, nor his shirt survived the training, leaving Vegeta in his underwear, which were also stained with blood and sweat. He was hunched over slightly, also exhausted from the bout, but not nearly as deeply as Goku. However, Vegeta was more physically drained, having pushed his body in Super Saiyan to its breaking point several times during the transformation.

"Ah Kakorot, that was the battle of the ages!" Vegeta yelled, flinging his arms to the sky, his voice shaking with happiness as he had finally gotten the fight he had dreamed, even if he hadn't won; it was a very close tie, with Goku unable to continue should Vegeta have pushed his body yet again, alas he was barely able to stand. All Goku gave was a thumbs-up. Piccolo surveyed the damage around him: many parts of the ceiling had fallen or sublimed, giving way to the bright blue sky and its hungry ball of light, Piles of rubble from obstacles placed in the room lay dismantled, smoking while the walls lay cracked, holed, or severely burned and blackened. It was irreparable.

"Do you two have it in you for one last bang?"Piccolo asked. Goku stood independently, and eyed Piccolo curiously. "What are you getting at Piccolo?"

"Well, there is no way Bulma is going to repair this peace of junk now that we have totally trashed it, and it will only take up space on the property. As a result, I say we should give it a proper...'burial' if you will."

Vegeta chuckled. "So the Namek becomes a true warrior. Well, I rather like the idea. What about you clown? Or did our little spar take too much out of you?"

Goku was still out of breath, but he managed to say, "Yeah right. Let's do this." With visible effort, Goku tried to go Super Saiyan. His veins enlarged to almost three times their normal size, as well as his body. However, the aura that exploded outwards was only a Kaioken. Goku still almost fell to the floor, but he caught himself. Vegeta powered up to a lesser Super Saiyan, with his aura barely existent, and his hair a very faded yellow, and his skin was not glowing or radiant as well. Piccolo reached within his spirit, finding a primal energy, and letting it expand until it pushed itself out. The glow was a faint purple, but Piccolo felt that he was gaining ground with the Saiyins too, and if an impending doom were to strike, he could be counteed on to truly protect the ones he had come to love, and respect.

The three men looked to the sky, and then to each other. "Well on three I guess." Piccolo offered to the silence.

1...2..all three yelled, their spirit expanding until it ran into stone, and filled the air with fire and rubble.

**Part 2 of Chapter 4 will be released at a later date, I just wanted to type this already. Thanks again, and please review, whether for spelling mistakes, ideas, whatev!-LLL**


	5. Prequel: Arrival Of Trunks

**And here's Part 2! Thanks for the support everyone, and I'll see you next time. - LLL**

The Beach house's beach was calmly lapped by waves while Yamcha sunbathed and sipped his iced tea. Tien meditated upstairs in the attic. Downstairs, Master Roshi was up to his no good perverted schemes and was glued to the screen as he watched a group of women working out. "HEHE THAT'S RIGHT GIRLS, STICK YOUR CHEST OUT! HEHE ALL OUT!" Krillin groaned. "Could you please turn that sound down old man? Honestly, it's a wonder you haven't been arrested for being a pedophile, with all the stalking and those X-Ray binoculars Gohan gave you for Christmas..." Master Roshi didn't turn away from his television, but he did reply, "Yeah..well those broke, I used them too much."  
Krillin only held his head before going over to the tv to turn it down manually. Roshi picked up his cup of tea and pushed Krillin down with surprising force. "Hands away from my tv!" Suddenly the earth shivered.

Yamacha leaped into the air as the ground shook under his feet, vibrating and causing the tide to spill over onto him and drench him completely. The hot cup of tea in Master Roshi's hand slipped, and Krillin yelled as it splashed on his bald head before slapping himself to try and wipe it off. Tien looked up as he always does and gasped, feeling the wave of power now get to him, it made him giddy. Rushing to the window, he said, "Guys come look!" Yamacha and the Master made their way over while Krillin slapped his head just a little longer. Yamacha's mouth fell. "What is that?" he asked in shock.

"What is what?" Krillin asked before shuffling himself over. What he saw astounded him, and he had swore that the might of Frieza would be the last thing to catch him off-guard. So when he saw a mini mushroom cloud, he was partially angry for not automatically thinking: Goku. Ah Goku, his best friend, the person that he could always count on to save the world when all else failed.  
Yet it didn't help that these training sessions nearly destroyed it...

"Bulma is going to be so pissed..." Yamacha laughed, and soon the while room was laughing at the prospect of Bulma smacking Goku and Vegeta senseless. Suddenly there was a feeling of displacement, and Krillin turned around and saw a battle-colored Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo suddenly in the living room. Goku collapsed to the ground the moment they arrived, and Vegeta a moment after. Only Piccolo remained standing, but it was through visible effort, with his whole body slightly shaking. Yamacha supported the Namekian while Tien, Master Roshi, and Krilling picked up Goku and Vegeta and sat them on a couch.

"Are you okay Goku?"Krillin asked, slapping the Saiyan a few times. Piccolo scoffed, "You slapping him sure isn't helping."

"Yeah well if he was at full strength Goku wouldn't even feel it! You don't know what's that's like Piccolo, to be powerless as you hope someone has the strength above you to do what they please, like someone just plucked a being and said, 'Bam, you are awesome, go kill everyone!" Krillin retorted with venom. Piccolo raised one thin eyebrow, but didn't comment.

Krillin shook with fury, memories of Frieza, and his death arising to the surface. "Why should Goku have all the power? Or even Vegeta, who isn't even on our side half the time, I mean he practically begged Frieza to kill Goku on Namek, so he could have the glory, and no _distractions_!" Krillin mimicked voice. "Oh don't waste your time on a clown Frieza, fight a true warrior instead!" "Vegeta doesn't deserve to be a Super Saiyan, or even with us, not with a soul like that!" The last sentence was a shout, and it commanded the attention of everyone in the room, including Goku and Vegeta.

"Gosh Krillin, I had no idea...Look, I didn't ask for all this to happen, gaining power has never been my goal. I only want to protect the people I care about, but in order to do that, I need their support." Goku tried to stand, but it took Yamcha and Tien's help to lift him. Goku hobbled over to Krillin, and then knelt next to the warrior monk, who had turned his head away.

"I need your support Krillin. Believe me, I often wish it didn't fall to me to fight and be strong, that I could not have to worry about my friends being hurt because they are strong enough to protect themselves. If you want to train with us, the only thing stopping you...is yourself."

"And me." Vegeta said as he stood up. Goku looked at his fellow racemen in perplexity. "Vegeta, what are you doing?"

Vegeta grunted as he took a strong stance. "No weakling's sweat is going to taint the pure work of Saiyan's while we train to restore our warrior race. The only reason the Namekian joins us is because he can keep up and has been trying from the beginning *he spat the next words* to protect _your_ son, but no one can just join in because they got killed a few times. If they want in, well then, they have to demonstrate that in battle!"

The whole room exploded in fury. "Oh come on that's ridiculous!" Piccolo shouted.

"Vegeta! We just got away from a battle, now you want the Universe threatened again just so Krillin can get killed again?!" Goku screeched.

"Ahah! I knew it, you don't believe in me either Goku! However, this is what I was talking about, we just can't have someone like Vegeta around any longer!"

"No one is getting rid of me! I am the Prince of All Saiyans!" Vegeta proclaimed, chest swelling with undiluted pride and elitism. Krillin lunged at Vegeta the same moment Roshi turned on the television to the news channel.

"We interrupt this broadcast for a special report. A nuclear size mushroom cloud has developed over Mickey Town, revealing a devastated landscape where we can see through it. More details are coming in as we continue to report..."

Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo shared a look. Krillin picked up on it. "Well, I guess Capsule Corp is going to lose a couple million in damages...But honestly what were you three thinking, blowing up near a civilian population like that?!"

"Krillin, we didn't train anywhere near there." Goku said slowly, eyes glued to the television.

"What?" Krillin replied, a grim tension settling on his face. Vegeta blinked. "It's true, that was no explosion caused by us. Something else is amiss here."

Piccolo simply watched the discussion, saving as much of his strength as he could. While his body had been raw and depleted of energy but 15 minutes ago, already he could stand without help, and some of his facial scars were already gone. Due to his regeneracy factor, he'd be ready to go in a few minutes. Goku's fists balled up. "Darn it! Just when I thought we'd have a break!"

Vegeta merely chuckled. "Well gather the troops Karorot, it's time to save the world again..."

"Hey guys look!" Yamacha ordered, and the Saiyans snapped their heads to the television screen. A news reporter was somewhat collected, but he had a bead of sweat running down his face. "We have just had word that Mickey Town is under attack by a group of machines that are unstoppable, and those not killed in the West Side of Mickey Town are being chased from the East by- he paused to read at his notes, as if he didn't quite believe them- a two-legged, green serpent that vacuums up people. We now have a helicopter at the scene. Frank are you there?"

The screen switched to show a bald, tanned man in his forties, and a tuxedo, with a microphone near his mouth. His eyes were wide with fear. "We have visual sights on the military,**_ the military,_** which rolled in about two hours ago, when they discovered a supposed heat bloom build-up which discharged and caused the explosion in downtown Mickey Town, near the Liberty Reactor, and caused it to explode. Scientist Foorena Emohorror had this to say-

A prerecording of a scientist with a tv blurred face speaks, "Well at about 1800 hours, we picked up a heat build-up of electromagnetic energy in such a high quantity, well we thought a nuclear bomb went off!"

A news reporter asked, "Well what do you mean heat build-up?"

"Well, it wasn't exactly hot, but by heat build0up, I mean there was a build-up of radiation, and we call that hot, even though it has nothing to do with temperature." The reporter scratched his head tiredly, obviously science was not his fort'e. "What radiation was given off?" The scientist licked his lips. "I don't want to be ridiculed for my thoughts, and the military and I disagree on what I believe."

The reporter replied, "This is public news, let the public think of what you believe as they will. You could save a lot of lives."

"Well...this radiation, is similar to the intense and violent signature...needed for a possible worm hole jump.- The Z- Fighters moved closer to the tv while Master Roshi turned it up. -I believe, that somewhere in Mickey Town, a person from another time period resides, and that's why all this is happening. But I have no thoughts on why, that is all."-The recording blurred out, and the camera showed Frank.

"So there you have it Hey what's that over there?!" he shouted, pointing behind the camera. The camera swiveled and showed a host of explosions dotting the landscape in circular fires. Buildings blasted apart, and the military open fired upon groups of levitating people, where the bullets glanced off, and the people launched cars at the soldiers. Tanks returned fire, unloading enough ordinance to destroy a city, but the people caught, broke, disintegrated, or simply flew right through the bombardment, laughing as they threw blasts and swatted the military aside with ease. "Find the kid, and Goku! We can't let either of them receive that information, or the Doc will piISSED." One of them said in a cowboy like accent. Another _human_ stooped low, with his trademark bandana flapping a little. "Shut up Android 13." Android 17 said, and then he flew off in search of the illustrious "kid". A tank fired an Armor Piercing Mortar at Android 17, who caught it with one hand, and laughed. He spotted the news helicopter, where Frank yelled at the pilot to fly away. "Hey, say cheese!" The Android cracked up as he hurled the shell, and the chopper could only watch it come towards them. Suddenly a dash of lines, similar to the Super Speeds of the Saiyans, appeared below the mortar, and it split in half as in one fell swoop, a teen, no older than 17, returned his sword to his sheathe and faced the camera. "Hello Dad, Piccolo." he said in a fast voice, eyes darting behind him to see 17 closing in. Vegeta's mouth hung open, did he just call him "Dad?" It made sense, Vegeta could see the traits of himself...and Capsule corp. Yes! It made sense. The man had yellow blond hair, but he wore the Capsule Corp jacket, meaning his mother...

"Bulma." Vegeta breathed, and he focused on the tv sharply. Piccolo's eyebrow raised as heard Vegeta's word, and then read his mind. He made the same gesture as when Goku had find out in another time that Bulma was Trunk's mother! The other Z-Fighters were talking to themselves.

"How does he know Piccolo?"

"Whoa, that move was bad-ass, he's fast!"

"That must be the kid."

Only Goku's attention remained riveted to the screen. The boy's next words were directed at him. "Goku, they're here to kill me, so do your Instant Transmission. NOW!" Trunks simply stated, and then he turned Super Saiyan before disappearing.

**Wow that took forever! I'll update on Rise of the Jedi sometime this week...hopefully. Take care, and if you have any questions, problems, feelings, ideas, thoughts, spelling mistakes I didn't catch, anything, even if you just want to chat, let me know, and I'll be around. Take care, and read long folks-LLL**


	6. Prequel: Hope Arises

Goku's eyebrows furrowed in momentary confusion. _"What was this boy talking about?" _The teen disbanded his Super Saiyan as quickly as he had summoned it, so rapidly that Goku only noticed it since he did it frequently. Trunks somersaulted over 17 as the Android missed, grunting and turning too slowly to dodge Trunks' pile-drive. The helicopter moved away as two other Androids, 18 and 15, attacked, coming in from above. Trunks drew his sword with lightning fast reflexes and slashed wide, driving 18 back while 15 drove his foot into Trunks' chest, and knocked him back several feet, but he quickly descended towards the ground, firing low-intensity Ki blasts to cover himself. The moment his feet touched the ground, Trunks leaped back as 17 materialized out of thin air, and brought his heel down from his head so fast that it made an incision in the concrete sidewalk. Trunks caught himself as he stopped and snapped his hands together. "You won't terrify me anymore! Burning...Attack!" A scarlet-red hex flew towards 17, who charged audaciously.

It was a foolish decision.

The Android was sent rocketing back into one of the remaining tall buildings still standing, bringing it down. The troops still in the area pulled back, letting these mights do as they will. Trunks let his shoulders sag a bit, his frustration had added more juice to his attack than he anticipated, and he didn't want to push himself past his Regular State if he didn't have to, the Androids would only retreat, repair, and attack when he was not ready for them. But, if they continued with this level of assault, he would have no choice. Androids 13, 14, 15 and 18 all landed on the ground wordlessly, with a gap in their ranks. 17 suddenly filled it, a few scratches on his face. "Not bad kid. Not bad at all." he complemented, clapping his hands.

Goku was hurriedly donning his fighting uniform, slipping on his ultramarine blue wristbands, and flexing his right arm. While his physical body felt good, he felt off, not fully in the moment; he knew it had something to do with his turning Kaio-Saiyan against Vegeta. It was a fabled technique, one that he did not expect would actually be achievable when he had not even mastered Super Saiyan. One day he was bequeathed with some very important information: You had two energies, your Ki, which rose and fell like the wind, and your spirit. When your Ki cannot support an energy consumption by an overwhelming degree, your spirit is automatically substituted in along with the Ki, regardless of what you want. Your spirit is universal energy, granted to you based on your deeds, subtracted when you have mishaps, and influenced by every action you make. That is the only reason why he could sustain the form for so long, even at all, every moment he had spent being good, all that energy was returned to the Universe. It would take the body a while to register this.

Gohan ran down the stairs, wearing a white cape that was ten sizes too big, and twice as long as his body. Goku chuckled and looked to Piccolo. "Hey, Piccolo, could you make a replica of your cape for Gohan?" Piccolo looked over at Gohan and smiled. "Sure thing."

Suddenly, Gohan disappeared in a flash of light, and reappeared in purple and white Namekian attire. The cape _swished _softly, and Gohan looked himself over, flexing his biceps, before beaming at his two fathers. "I'm ready." Goku rubbed his son's hair, while Piccolo took his place at Goku's back right. "Let's go!"

The Z-Fighters appeared on the top of ten feet of rubble, with the "Welcome to Mickey Town" sign but a few hundred feet away. "Does anyone sense?" Krillin asked. No one answered him. Goku closed his eyes, fading out from the world, looking at the multi-colored tendrils of light that belonged to every living thing on Earth. A simple green that never changed belong to grass, while red with swirling patterns of black on the edges, and a black hole center, belonged to Vegeta. Then, he found it: a purple color with jagged edges, meaning it was in an agitated state. Then, it bursted into pure gold, coursing with fire, which belonged to pure evil and rage.

_"He's Super Saiyan now!" _Trunks' power was a Super Nova compared to the relatively dull levels of life around him. As Goku took off, the rest of Earth's defenders followed him.

Android 17 raised his forearm up, and he parried Trunk's jab with his right hand to throw a kick up at Trunk's head. With his speed heightened, Trunks caught the leg deftly with his left hand and sliced it off at the knee with his sword, which had been drawn from its sheath with righteous vengeance. Android 17 stared in horror as he watched sparks fly from his dismembered limb, and Trunks capitalized on the opportunity to hit the Android in the head with his own gastrocnemius just as 18 kicked Trunks in his right arm, and nearly broke it. Trunks' eyes turned white with pain, his mouth open as he fell sideways. Android 18 raised her hand to finish him off, but Android 17 snarled, "No! He is mine." 18 scoffed as she beheld the sight of her brother, but did not object, and took her place with the other Androids. Only #14 was missing..._  
_

"Get up filth, we have unfinished business!" Android 17 growled, rounding Trunks, who was still holding his arm. But after another few seconds, the Super Saiyan got up, and fired a quick Ki blast with his left arm that Android 17 hopped past. Just then, eight sets of blasts, all different colors, slammed into the machine, who had only a moment's notice to chest cross-block with his arms. He landed on his back with an _ooommph_, and the other Androids,(now excluding 14 _and_ 15), sprung forward as the Z-Fighters landed. Goku turned Trunks. "Who are you?" he asked. Trunks smirked, "I'll tell you everything after we defeat them. Fair enough?" Goku nodded. "Fair." He turned back to the Androids. "Which one of you is in charge?"

Android 17 raised a single eyebrow. "So you're Goku. Didn't expect you to be alive in this time," he looked around at Gohan and Vegeta. "Huh? None of you are sick. What is this?" He shared a perplexed expression with Android 18. Goku moved his head to one side. "What are you talking about?" Vegeta's tightened his fists. "What does it matter?! Let's finish this!" He hunched over and became a Super Saiyan. Trunks watched in surprise, Vegeta was not a Super Saiyan in the time he was from.

"Vegeta wait!" Goku cautioned, but Vegeta was in one of his fits, and would not pay attention to anyone. Not wanting his friend and last surviving racemen to die, Goku powered up to Super Saiyan, and quickly tuned to Piccolo. "Make sure he-Goku motioned to Trunks-"stays safe." Then he disappeared. Android 13 blocked Vegeta's punch and the two began exchanging hits. Piccolo sat Trunks down, even though he argued. "Your wounds will heal faster if you rest, we are more than capable of protecting you." Trunks looked into Piccolo's eyes a little longer, and then powered down, the creases of stress in his face smoothing out, and before Piccolo could turn around he could hear Trunks' snores. 18 started towards Vegeta when she was kicked in the back of the head by Goku, who suddenly reappeared. Before she had time to counter, Goku zipped forward, and kneed her in the stomach, and began letting her have his hardest combos. The two Androids were outmatched, and 17 was having no better luck against the plethora of people against him. Unleashing a wave of energy, he sent Tien and Chaotzu into strewn vehicles, and kicked Yamacha before returning to his one leg. Piccolo, unexpected as always, swept 17 and then rose, snapping his foot out and sending the AI airborne. Piccolo pursued but 17 sent the Namek back to the ground with another energy burst. Appearing in front his mentor to cover his fall, Gohan screamed, "Masenko-HA!"The yellow blast was headed right towards 17, who cupped his hand, and deflected the blast right back. As it returned towards Gohan, he detonated it, and a thick cloud of yellowish smoke hid them from Android 17. "Cowards!"he challenged, and stayed right where he was.

Foolish mistake #2.

A corded yellow and purple beam shot out the haze, and pierced 17 right through his abdomen. The Android looked at the hole in his stomach, and then back at the Z-Fighters, who were now visible. Krillin forced his hands together, and concentrated hard. "Kamehameha!" he yelled, and a blue beam rocketed from his palms. A green serpent suddenly dashed in front of it, and caught it with his hands, yelling in glee as it hit him. The light was blinding on Cell's end, but in an instant the blast gone, no trace of it lingering, no energy tainting the life nearby, nothing. Cell licked his lips, and pouted, "I barely felt that." He turned to 17 with a hungry expression, "But you, you look tasty." Then he stopped. "Why are you so weak?" 17 grit his teeth. "Who says I'm weak?!" He started towards Cell, but a few of his oils leaked out his hole, causing Cell to give 17 an "oh-please" glance before he looked at 18. "You're weak too..." Trunks stood up, awakened from his slumber. His face with infuriated, vein pulsing in his temple as he beheld Cell, who actually had the nerve to wink at him! "Not this time!" he yelled, his Super Saiyan starting back up around him. A resplendent red orb grew in Trunks' palms. "Stop! If you kill me Trunks, one of those three down there will die." Trunks did not cease his charging. "You're lying through your teeth Cell, none of them are sick! Besides, I have the antidote."

"You mean that thing that I had in my hands when I impaled your mother. Please those pills are penicillin, the real pills are inside of me."

"Liar!" Trunks put in more energy into the ball. Cell smiled and said, "So be it." Goku and Vegeta looked to each other, and then moved in front of Cell like two bodyguards. Trunks slowed the charge on his attack. "What are you two doing?! Get out of my way!" Trunks barked, looking back down the V made by his hands. Goku and Vegeta spoke simultaneous, but in Cell's voice. "We defend Cell. If you do not cease your attack, you will be killed Trunks."

Piccolo looked at Trunks. "What the hell is happening Trunks?!"

"Cell must have a Parent Function over them, the ability to make them do whatever he commands. But, I didn't think it was this severe.."

Piccolo growled, his mood taking a plummet. There was no way he, Gohan, and Trunks could take on Vegeta and Goku, let alone Cell if this was only one ability. But then again, Cell used this Parent Function as protection, meaning he really wanted to escape. "Special Beam Cannon!" he roared. as Trunks yelled, "Burning...ATTACK!" Goku and Vegeta raised their hands and fired high magnitude Ki beams to intercept, resulting in a massive blast. Piccolo covered his eyes, and opened them to see Cell and the Androids gone. He was correct.

Vegeta and Goku had a hazed over color in their eyes, but suddenly became attentive and turned around. "What happened?" Goku demanded. Trunks hung his head in exhaustion. "I'll tell you when we're back at Master Roshi's house."

Vegeta wasn't happy with that answer. "That may please this clown next to me, but I for one want to know what just happened!"

Trunks shrugged. "Fine." He reached into his jacket, and took out a vial before tossing it Goku. The angry Saiyan caught it without blinking, and gazed at it with displeasure. "What is this suppose to be?"

"A precaution," Trunks answered after looking for the right word. "I'll start at the beginning. My name, is Trunks, and I am from the year 2017. This is not the only Universe. There are an infinite amount, yet I only exist, and affect 8 of them very directly:

1. A Universe in which I die as a baby before I can time-travel.

2. A Universe in which I die once the Androids appear in my Universe and slaughter the world., including myself..

3. A Universe in which Cell exists, but he is not a threat because the Androids kill him before he can absorb enough people.

4. A Universe in which I am about to time travel, but Cell kills me, and travels instead to the Universe I intended to warn.

5. I've successfully made it to a Universe Goku to warn you about the Androids eminent arrival, and the heart virus.

6. I meet the others in another Universe, but you have already died Goku.

7. Vegeta, my father, gets the Heart Virus instead of you Goku, and my being there to provide an antidote decides whether he lives or dies.

8. Gohan contracts the Heart Virus instead, and depending on whether I make it he lives or dies.

Accept none of you gotten the disease, there were 5 androids instead of two, even though Cell absorbed 14 and 15, and Vegeta killed 13."

"How are you a Super Saiyan if Bulma's your mother?" Goku asked. Trunks chuckled, adding light to his features. "Ah so you saw it in me huh? Anyone with Saiyan blood has the capacity to become a Super Saiyan, but it warrants a strong emotional experience. In a different Universe, Krillin was killed, which pushed Goku, you, over the edge and made him/you become a Super Saiyan. Same in this one, only Vegeta transformed out of rage of seeing you transform into a legend right in front of him. I learned combat from my father before he was killed in my time period, and his death spurred on my transformation."

Piccolo asked a question next. "You spoke of these Heart Viruses, what are you talking about?"

Trunks' eyes turned melancholy. "I've seen it happen far too times in my various lives. Becoming a Super Saiyan is like flooding yourself with steroids. It decreases your ability to fight off disease, and there is this one disease that has appeared everytime, killing off one of you three, but never me. It's a Heart Virus like I said, and it only manifests in Saiyans or their offspring. I know this because Gohan has been killed twice by it, despite the fact he didn't become a Super Saiyan."

"Wait, how have you seen Gohan die so many times? Or any of us for that matter?"

"It's truly hard to explain. I would think that when one Trunks alters another reality, he doesn't truly die when he passes away. He is canceled out, because he affected a reality that already had Trunks in it. And when something is canceled out, it doesn't just go nowhere or form a black hole, it becomes one. I...am that one. Every Trunks' memories are mine."

Vegeta shouted, "What did that thing do to us back there?!" Trunks faced him, rage in his eyes. "That ,_thing_, is called Cell, and it is an abomination of yours, Gohan's, Goku's, Freiza's, his father's, and Piccolo's cells. The list varies in each time, since some of you are killed, or some events don't come to pass. But he always comes up with some powers that I never see coming. In this time, he used something called a Parent Function. It's almost like he uses pheromones, his brain can control your cells, because your cells think your a part of him since he's made up of you. No doubt he has other tricks up his sleeves, but he probably won't need them once he absorbs Androids 17 and 18, the ones he escaped with. The only reason he didn't absorb them in front of us was because their power was so weak that it wouldn't have made him nearly as perfect as it would be if they become stronger."

"Why aren't they as strong as they should be?" Goku asked.

"No idea. In some times, they were fearsome, I spent much of my life running when I would run into just one of them. Two of them made my life a living hell. This time, I took on 17 at half my power, and he usually was the stronger one of the two. Perhaps they need to be charged with solar power or something, otherwise I have no idea what it could be this time. Right now, it's imperative we find them. Cell will most likely have them in an area they can charge, but in his eagerness to absorb them, he'll definitely forget that they'll become strong enough to escape. He'll also repair 17, since it makes no sense to absorb something so damaged."

Then, Gohan fell to the ground, pulmonary and cardiac veins growing larger in size until they could be seen beneath his shirt. His cough, and the coughing quickly became violent, before Gohan's eyes rolled up into his head, and he passed out. A spasm racked his body, and Gohan yelled, rolling all over and kicking. Trunks snapped his head to Gohan and yelled, "Goku, the medicine!" Goku tossed it, and Trunks caught it before slipping two pills into Gohan's mouth. It was a fight to keep the boy still, even after Piccolo, and Goku helped Trunks hold him down to keep him from causing any further injury to himself. After a few minutes, the veins went down some, and Gohan looked slightly better, but he didn't move, or even seem to be conscious. Trunks slapped the boy in the cheek some, and slowly checked one of the pills in the vial. "Damn it!" he cursed, and looked at the pills as if they were vermin before throwing them to the ground. "Damn that machine!" he howled, smashing his fists into the ground.

"What did Cell do?!" Goku demanded, checking Gohan's pulse and eyes. "Before I left for this time, Cell had attacked our facility. The Androids in my time would have been there too, but Gohan volunteered to hold them off while I prepared to leave.

***Flashback* Trunks' POV**

_**"Do you have everything Trunks?" Bulma asked me. I nodded without much into it, my mind still on Gohan. So brave, volunteering without pause to take on both 17 and 18 while myself and some rebels tried to go exploring. That's what I thought of it as, even when my mother tried to change my vocabulary. I was exploring. It didn't matter to me if some dude who I'd never met would die in another time period, I was needed here. In my world, Gohan and I were the last who could give people something to hope for. We were nowhere near as well-coordinated, or strong as the Androids, but we could fight long enough for people to escape ,and while the Androids' strength increased, each encounter also made Gohan and I stronger. We could someday win, yes! The Androids lie in pieces beneath my feet, Cell is but a faded nightmare, and Gohan is still alive. Why the hell couldn't that be my reality?!**_

_**"Final checks Trunks." My mother's voice drifted through my daydreams, and I looked back at the soldiers, if you could even call them that. 14 of them were accompanying me because there was no telling what the Earth would be like once I got there. I made need assistance, but I didn't think a few machine guns and rocket launchers would help much against something even I couldn't handle. I'm not cocky, or even conceited, but if I couldn't survive with all my experience of running, then soldiers even in peak physical condition,(which these guys were not), would only slow me down. In truth, I believe my mother knew that we were doomed. Four people, a whole family, took their lives last night. Twenty-seven in the last 7 months before. Each time was like bullet being drilled in my skin, a resounding notice on their still corpses that I had failed. Failed, with all my power, to give them a better life, to provide more hope other than me coming home after each scavenge, sometimes with their loved ones, other times by myself.**_

_**"One minute son." Bulma reminded me. One minute...and I'd be off to new horrors, new people. I'd be rewriting Fate, and condemning those here. The 14 coming with me had all lost their families, were injured, sick, and unmotivated. I checked myself one more time: my sword was slung behind me, a present from my mom for my fourth birthday when the Present disinterested me and the pills...the pills!**_

_**I jumped towards the door, thirty-six seconds left. "Mom! The pills!" Bulma looked up, and went over to a closet to get the pills when they were tossed back to her from the shadows, and a tail impaled her. "NO!" I bellowed, hair flying up and air exploding around me as I flew towards the face grinning in the shadows.**_

_**"CELL!" I cried with fury, drawing my sword. He twisted his tail, and my mother was sent flying towards me. I caught her without hesitation, dropping my sword as I cradled her. There were tears in her eyes, and she stroked my face before it dropped, body already growing still and cold. I looked for Cell, and saw him standing near the ship. Without thinking, I fired yellow Ki blasts, screaming. The fiend turned and gaped with shock as they struck him, turning the time machine on its side. I grabbed my blade and leaped after him, grabbing the tail that almost caught me, and throwing him into a wall. I trained the sword on him menacingly, eyes feral. "Give me those pills." I demanded, voice low. Cell looked at his hand, and clinked the pills inside the container. "You mean these?" He tossed them towards me, and I was a fool to go for licked his lips and growled. "Your mother's energy was tasty. In fact, it was a blast!" He fired white Ki blast, which I jumped out of the way of. The vial landed on the floor, pills jingling inside. I spared a glance at the timer: 13 seconds left. I started for them as a tail came down, forcing me to roll to my left. I reached for the medicine again, but Cell stepped on my fingers, breaking the hand. I didn't scream, no time for it, I just grabbed my sword and sliced his foot off.  
**_

_**The android grabbed his leg and fell down, watching it slowly regrow. I grabbed the vial and ran for the time machine, only 6 seconds left when I heard a whistle. **_

_**Cell had his hands pointed at me in the stance of a Kamehameha. "Don't move Trunks, unless you want your time machine to go bye-bye." I turned around, and Cell wasn't bluffing, I was right in the path of the machine. I grit my teeth, and formed a blast of my own as Cell fired. I didn't have enough time, it wouldn't be strong enough! All the survivors threw themselves in front of me, one grabbing me by the jacket and throwing me towards ship. "Go!" he yelled before all of them were incinerated. The blast continued on towards me, but it was significantly weakened. I got in and kicked out as I felt a bony hand grip my foot. Cell...then everything faded to white, and I was tumbling, the distant sound of an explosion, of my cries...or were they Cell's, and then I blacked out.**_

_**I awake to a thunder storm, vicious rain pelting the ship. I suddenly remembered the past, and kicked my foot out, Cell's touch grossing me out, and scaring me to death. My heart thumped, but it was not needed, Cell was gone. My hand was also healed, going back in time must've repaired it. But, why he didn't absorb me? He wanted to have a game, and it couldn't be one unless I was still alive. Fine, I was game.  
**_

_** But I didn't have long. Once the Androids killed Gohan, they would detect the energy surge, see the coordinates, and follow after me. Time travel would leave the weak, but I didn't know how weak, they may still be too strong for me to take on alone unless I found reinforcements. I had to find Goku, but I had no idea where to even start. I stood up, and right in front of me was my sword. I glanced at the shiny metal, and slid it into its sheathe. I felt a new purpose, a new hope fill me. The look on theat man's face before he died, I had rekindled hope in his features. **_

_**I would find Goku, or whoever was alive in this time period. It's what my mother would want and it's the only way to avenge Gohan's memory.**_

_**I won't fail this time...**_

**Let Spring Break Begin! Oh, and this is the end of the prequel chapters. The first chapter, which would've taken place after this one, is set one one week later. Sorry if you find any inconsistensies. -LLL**


	7. And Once More

Piccolo touched down onto the grassy field in front of Goku's home, and broke into a sprint. Without knocking, he tore through the door, feverishly looking for Gohan, who was not there. "Bulma!" Piccolo called, but no one replied to him. None of the furniture was out of place, in fact it looked cleaned up; the house was immaculate. "Goku!" Piccolo shouted, his anxiousness growing higher. What had happened here? He couldn't sense anyone's KI, and he was sure Goku could've beaten him home since the Saiyan used Instant-Transmission. He spun around, feelings eyes on him. He was being stalked, and Piccolo knew it was Cell. He could suddenly picture Cell licking his lips from the shadows, waiting for Piccolo to drop his guard. _"Well, I won't get any answers any other way." _Dropping his power, Piccolo turned his back, and started towards the door.

Cell suddenly burst from beneath the floor, pinning Piccolo against a wall with his sharp nails. "Namekian, we have to talk!"

"Not likely Cell!" Piccolo replied, and got his foot between Cell and himself. With a grunt, he pushed the Android off of him. "Piccolo, I'm not Cell!" Cell pleaded.

"And I don't believe you." Piccolo fired two blasts at Cell, who evaded them, and leaped backwards. The blasts blew a hole in the wall, which Cell retreated through. Stepping on the sandy beach, Cell turned to see Piccolo having closed the gap and attacking with new-found courage. Cell blocked most of the punches, but others he evaded again. Piccolo came once more after a temporary reprieve, when Cell whipped his tail out and held it over his head menacingly. Piccolo jumped back several meters, eyeing the tail warily.

"Piccolo! It's me, Vegeta!" Cell yelled. Piccolo stopped, remembering what Trunks said. "Oh my god, it's actually true."

"Of course it's true you blithering fool, why else would I claim such a thing?" Vegeta scolded. Piccolo suddenly became defensive again. "How do I know that you're not tricking me. Tell me something only Vegeta would know."

"That's a trick question now isn't it? If that thing can become me, than obviously it has all my memories too!" Vegeta/Cell countered. Piccolo hinged. If he let down his guard, and this entity in front of him really was Cell, it could put him in a critical condition that he may not survive. But if that is Vegeta, he'll have to trust him.

Decisions, decisions... "Where is Goku?" Piccolo asked, buying time for himself to think. "Goku is at Capsule Corp, where they moved Gohan after his condition worsened. They hope their more advanced machinery may buy him more time than those pills are giving him."

"How long ago was that?"

"About an hour. I stayed behind in case Cell dropped by. Maybe I could reabsorb him, teach that bastard to not mess with the Prince of All Saiyans!" Piccolo moved his head through the motions, allowing Vegeta to say his trademark line.

Piccolo's mind suddenly stopped wandering. "Wait Vegeta. If you're here...where is Cell?"

"Well that monster took my form! Haven't you been..." Vegeta stopped speaking, and his eyes flared. "Trunks is with Cell! And he thinks it's me!" Vegeta yelled. Piccolo took to the air, Vegeta right behind him._"Cell, when I get my hands around your slippery throat, I swear I will make you suffer!"_

**_Sorry if it seems back and forth at this state, but this is the last back and forth most likely before the story goes along a set course. I'll probably finish in five-ten chapters, kinda forecasting since I want this and my other stories to be done by June so I can start new projects, such as a Fringe Fanfiction, and Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother Crossover called the Coastal Infusion. Thanks for all the reviews, I'll catch you later. =D_**

**_LLL_**


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